Page 32 of I Summoned A Demon For A Date?!
"Of course," Dad his voice gentled. "Go. We'll talk later."
Jan looked like she wanted to object but held her tongue. Stephany just stared, her expression calculating as I pushed past them and headed in the direction Aldaine had gone.
The fairy lights overhead seemed to mock me with their cheerful glow as I searched through the crowd, ignoring the curious glances and hushed comments that followed in my wake. Where would he have gone? Back to our room? Out to the car? Or somewhere else entirely, using whatever demonic abilities he possessed to simply vanish from the estate?
The thought sent a fresh wave of panic through me. He wouldn't just leave me here, would he? After everything we'd shared?
But his final words echoed in my mind: "I'm not good."
It wasn't just what he'd said, but how he'd said it with such finality, such conviction. As if he'd been trying to convince himself as much as me.
I'd seen the moment he shut down, built those walls back up, and retreated behind that cold, untouchable facade. I recognized it because I'd done the same thing countless times in my life, pulling away before someone else could hurt me, protecting myself by being the one to end things first.
But Aldaine hadn't been protecting himself. He'd been protecting me. From himself.
Chapter Fifteen
CHAPTER 15: ALDAINE
The sound of Rosie's heartbeat thundered in my ears, each beat a staccato reminder of how fragile humans were. How breakable. Even as she ran after me, calling my name with desperation in her voice, all I could focus on was the echo of her pulse, the lingering scent of fear that had rolled off her when Roger touched her.
When he dared to put his hands on what wasmine.
The mating bond thrummed violently beneath my skin, demanding retribution. My demon form pushed against the carefully constructed walls of my human disguise, wanting to break free, to show that pathetic excuse for a man what true terror felt like. The urge to shift, to let my true nature emerge, was almost overwhelming.
I strode faster toward the edge of the property, my fingers clenched into fists so tight I could feel my nails cutting into my palms. The pain helped ground me, gave me something to focus on besides the rage still coursing through my veins.
"Aldaine!" Rosie's voice came closer. "Aldaine, wait!"
I didn't slow down. I couldn't. Not when I was this close to losing control. The manicured lawn gave way to wild forest ahead, offering darkness, solitude, a place where I could safely let my demonic nature surface without witnesses.
But she caught up to me near the old stone wall, her breathing labored from the chase. I stood rigid, unwilling to turn and face her, knowing my eyes would betray me. The mating bond pulsed between us, desperate for contact, begging me to take her in my arms and claim her properly.
"Aldaine," her voice soft, reaching for my shoulder.
I flinched away from her touch, though every fiber of my being screamed in protest. When I finally turned to face her, I kept my expression cold, distant. But seeing her there in the moonlight, her red hair gleaming like liquid fire, her green eyes bright with concern, made maintaining that distance nearly impossible.
"You shouldn't have followed me," I growled, my voice rougher than intended.
She lifted her chin defiantly. "You shouldn't have run away."
"I wasn't running," I snapped, then closed my eyes, fighting for control as my demon form tried to surface again. When I opened them, I forced my voice to be calmer. "I was removing myself from a situation before I did something I'd regret."
"Like what? Turning Roger into a pile of ash? Because honestly, I don't think anyone would have minded."
A spark of amusement tried to break through my carefully constructed walls. She had no idea how close I'd come to doing exactly that. The memory of his hands on her, his alcohol-laden breath against her skin as he cornered her, sent another wave of possessive rage through me.
"You don't understand what happened back there, Rosie."
"Then explain it to me."
I ran a hand through my hair, disrupting its careful styling. How could I explain that the mating bond had nearly driven me to murder? That seeing another man touch my mate had awakened something primal and vicious inside me?
"I lost control. Me. A demon who's lived for centuries, who prides himself on his control." The admission tasted bitter on my tongue. "You saw what happened. What almost happened."
"I saw you protecting me," she insisted.
"No." I cut her off sharply. "What you saw was the tip of the iceberg. If I hadn't pulled back when I did.," I looked out into the darkness, unable to meet her trusting gaze. "I've spent decades, no, centuries, perfecting my restraint. One touch, one insignificant human touching what's mine, and it all unraveled."
